The
Mercer Mill property could
become a 32-room inn designed to
compliment other village of
Baldwinsville businesses. |
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y.- The new owners of the Mercer
Mill property are looking at scaling down previous
plans for the building and concentrating more
on an inn concept.
Jay Bernhardt, of Liverpool, and Jake McKenna,
a Van Buren resident, purchased the property
in May from Jim Orlando for $700,000. At one
time, Orlando and his former partners had been
planning a 39-room inn with a convention center,
banquet facility, restaurant and bar.
"Our plan is going to be a little different," McKenna
said Thursday during a presentation to the Baldwinsville
Village Board.
While their plans are not finalized, McKenna
said they would like to focus on turning the
historic building primarily into an inn. "There
are a number of fine restaurants and fine banquet
facilities in the village … we want to compliment
the businesses that are here and not compete
with other businesses," he explained.
Jake
McKenna |
The two men said they are in the design phase
now, but anticipate the inn having 30 or 32 rooms.
McKenna said hopes are for the inn do much of
its business on the weekdays, possibly working
with the village in planning business events
on Paper Mill Island or serving those coming
into the area on trips for Anheuser-Bush.
"The bottom line is we want to bring new money
into the village," McKenna explained. "I think
if we concentrate more on an inn-type facility
I think we can do that."
The developers said they would stick to original
plans of emphasizing the history or the 180-year-old
building, which is the last remaining mill in
the village.
Instead of expanding the building the roughly
35 feet that Orlando's plan called for, McKenna
said plans are to largely stick to the original
footprint of the mill and "restore the building
to what is was in the 1800s and early 1900s."
"Our plan would bring it much more to what it
looked like."
Jay
Bernhardt |
Bernhardt, who owns JGB Enterprises in Liverpool
and Precision Systems in the town of Clay, is
originally from the Richfield Springs area. He
has purchased and renovated a number of historic
buildings in his former hometown. Historical
pictures and items would be displayed in the
inn, and there is also the potential of creating
a small museum at the site.
Trustee Anthony Saraceni, who introduced Bernhardt
and McKenna to Orlando, said he was "pretty excited
about the future of that property."
Other village lawmakers also gave a positive
reaction to the plans.
"You just ruined my night. I'm not going to
sleep . . . I'm excited," trustee Richard Presley
told the developers. "You've kept the ball rolling" on
revitalizing the village.
Trustee Howard Tupper added that there were
a number of rumors prior to the two men buying
the building that the former mill would be razed
and turned into a parking lot. "This should put
all those to rest," he said. "You rescued us."
Jay
Bernhardt, standing at left,
and Jake McKenna, middle,
Thursday talk about their
plans for the Mercer Mill property. |
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